


Rocking Around the Christmas Tree

by Leahelisabeth (fortheloveofcamelot)



Category: All For The Game - Nora Sakavic
Genre: Brotherly Bonding, F/M, Gremlin Neil Josten, M/M, Missed flights, Snowed In, Ugly Holiday Sweaters
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-15
Updated: 2020-12-15
Packaged: 2021-03-11 05:15:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,738
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28079760
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fortheloveofcamelot/pseuds/Leahelisabeth
Summary: Aaron was not supposed to be at Andrew and Neil's for Christmas.  He was supposed to be in Hawaii, getting a tan and proposing to his girlfriend.  A raging blizzard had other ideas.  It ends up being surprisingly okay.
Relationships: Aaron Minyard & Andrew Minyard, Katelyn/Aaron Minyard, Neil Josten/Andrew Minyard
Comments: 20
Kudos: 227
Collections: AFTG Exchange Winter 2020





	Rocking Around the Christmas Tree

**Author's Note:**

> This is a gift for captain-ferid on Tumblr for the Winter 2020 AFTG Exchange. I hope you enjoy! Thank you nikothespoonklepto for the beta!

“With the look on your face, people might think you don’t like us,” Neil teased as he flung open the door to welcome Aaron into the house.

Aaron’s scowl deepened. “I could leave,” he threatened, even though he was in a hurry to get out of the wind and hated the idea of being out in it for even a moment longer.

“No,” Andrew said, appearing behind him on the doorstep as if out of nowhere. He was dressed in a puffy black jacket with a beanie dragged down low over his eyebrows and a soft black scarf wrapped around nearly his whole face. He was covered in snow from the raging snowstorm outside.

Aaron let himself be hustled in through the doorstep as Andrew closed and locked the door behind him.

“Now you’re locked in with us,” Andrew said, face impassive. “Merry Christmas.”

Aaron knew he was pouting but he couldn’t seem to stop. He was supposed to be on a plane to Hawaii in an hour and there was no way the storm was going to let up in time for him to fly out. He should have just taken time off to fly out when Katelyn had a week ago, but he was still paying off the diamond ring sitting in his packed luggage and needed the hours.

“Fuck off,” he said, pushing past Neil and heading toward the guest room. He stripped off his jacket, uncaring that he was getting snow all over the carpet, and pulled out his phone to facetime Katelyn.

“That’s not an airport,” she said when the call connected.

“No,” Aaron admitted, “it’s not.”

A disappointed look crossed Katelyn’s face. “You could still make it if you took a later flight.”

Aaron shook his head, flopping over onto the edge of the bed. “All flights are grounded for at least the next 24 hours. I could maybe make it for Boxing Day but I’m going to miss Christmas.”

Katelyn took a deep breath. “It’s okay,” she said. “I’d prefer you were there and safe. Where are you now?”

“Andrew and Neil’s.” Aaron grimaced.

Katelyn laughed. “How did that happen?”

Aaron shrugged. “I don’t even know. He called me this morning and told me I was coming here.”

Katelyn’s look was knowing. “And you didn’t want to be alone on Christmas.”

“Yeah,” Aaron said, feeling very seen.

“It’s a good thing,” Katelyn said. “Get in some good bonding time and I’ll see you when you get here.”

“I miss you,” Aaron said.

“I miss you too,” Katelyn smiled softly. “I was going to save this for when you got here, but I think you could use some good news. Remember how I said my family was staying in Hawaii until January 2nd?”

Aaron nodded.

“I lied,” Katelyn said, smirking.

“You what?” Aaron asked. “Why?”

“They’re leaving on the 28th. We’re staying until January 2nd, just the two of us,” Katelyn grinned.

“I love you,” Aaron said fervently, already reframing his planned proposal from early Christmas morning to an intimate walk on the beach to ring in the New Year.

“I have to go,” Katelyn said. “I have a surfing lesson this afternoon and I’m going to be late if I don’t leave now. I love you so much. Have fun with your brother.”

“I’ll try,” Aaron said, grimacing again.

At that moment, a flurry of knocks sounded on the door, startling Aaron into falling off the bed.

“The festivities have begun,” Neil’s voice came from the other side of the door in his poshest, most British accent. “Your presence is required in the dining room for holiday cheer and/or merriment.”

“What the fuck?” Aaron asked, looking at the door in horror.

Katelyn laughed in delight. “Oh my god, is that Neil?”

Aaron nodded. “It seems like I’ve been summoned.”

“Have fun,” Katelyn teased gently.

“Yeah, yeah,” Aaron sighed.

“I mean it,” Katelyn said. “This could be a good thing.”

“I love you,” Aaron said.

“I love you too,” Katelyn replied, looking at him with soft eyes that never failed to melt his insides into a gooey puddle of warmth. A second later, her eyes widened. “Shit! I’ve really got to go.” She made a couple kissy faces at the camera and hung up, leaving Aaron staring at a blank screen.

Neil hadn’t knocked again and Aaron wondered what he would do if Aaron just decided to hide in the spare bedroom for the next 24 hours. It was a tempting thought, but a few moments later, he got up with a groan and made his way into the living room.

The house was surprisingly festive. A three foot fake tree stood in the corner, decorated with coloured lights, candy canes, and ribbon in an absolutely eye-watering shade of orange. There weren’t a lot of actual ornaments. The Foxes had put out promotional Christmas ornaments in Aaron’s last year with the team logo and there were two hanging on the tree. There was also a six inch square of needlepoint with a nativity scene stitched onto it. Two clay discs proudly displayed a set of cat paw prints. A gaudy star covered in glitter and tinsel sat crookedly on the very top.

“Here,” Neil said, throwing a soft bundle wrapped in penguin paper at his face.

Aaron caught it and glared suspiciously at them. They looked at him innocently, Andrew in a black sweater decorated with a T-rex in a Santa hat and a string of actual working lights around the collar, and Neil in a green one, wound around with garland, and a tinsel star dangling from the wrist. “Do I have to?” he asked.

“Non-negotiable,” Andrew said. “No hot chocolate until you’re appropriately attired.”

“What if I don’t want hot chocolate?” Aaron grumbled.

“Gasp,” Andrew said, completely deadpan.

“It’s okay, baby,” Neil said, mock glaring at Aaron. “He didn’t mean it.”

“Fine,” Aaron said, ripping off the wrapping paper. His sweater was red and had a brick pattern. A picture of a fireplace was on the front with little elf legs dangling from the chimney. Mini stockings hung on the underside of the sleeves and a line of tinsel and lights stretched across from one wrist to the other. He pulled it over his head and crossed his arms, glaring furiously.

“Stretch your arms out,” Neil said.

“No,” Aaron replied.

Andrew cocked one eyebrow at him. Aaron felt his face flush and he put out his arms like a T so the stockings hung down.

Neil laughed so hard he fell to the ground. Andrew watched them both with a faintly amused look on his face.

“I was promised hot chocolate?” Aaron addressed Andrew.

“Kitchen,” Andrew said, stepping over Neil on the floor and leading the way.

The festive decoration was absent in the kitchen but it smelled delicious. The timer on the stove was counting down the last few seconds and a large pot on the stove steamed lightly. Andrew pulled a tray of shortbread cookies out of the oven and set them on a cooling rack to the right of the oven before picking up a ladle and stirring the pot.

Aaron crowded close, grabbing a shortbread cookie and juggling it between his hands until it stopped burning him. It crumbled on his tongue, delicious and buttery.

Andrew handed him a mug, topped with real whipped cream, chocolate shavings, and a candy cane. Aaron took a sip, savoring the creamy sweetness. He hadn’t had anything other than hot chocolate from a hospital dispenser or the crappy powdered mix in a long time. He had forgotten just how good the real stuff could be.

“Thanks Andrew,” Aaron said suddenly. He felt his face turn red when Andrew turned to look at him curiously. “I think if I’d spent Christmas alone, it would have sucked.”

Andrew looked at him, a look Aaron couldn’t identify on his face. “I know,” he said.

“Know what?” Aaron asked.

“The ring,” Andrew explained.

Aaron’s anger flared red hot. “I thought we’d gotten past this,” he hissed. “I love Katelyn. You don’t get to make these decisions for me anymore.”

“No,” Andrew said, wincing slightly. “I wanted to tell you...I won’t make you choose.”

“Oh,” Aaron said. “You won’t?”

Andrew shook his head slightly, visible discomfort growing on his face. “I’m...happy. You’re my brother. You should be happy too.”

Aaron felt like all the air had been punched straight out of him. “Good,” he said. “That’s...really good.”

“Glad we had this talk,” Andrew drawled in a sarcastic tone. He reached out and barely pressed his hand to Aaron’s shoulder. The warmth spoke far louder than his words.

Without another word, Andrew turned away and piled a plate high with cookies. He handed it to Aaron and poured another two mugs of hot chocolate, leading him back toward the living room.

“But hey, what the actual fuck?” Aaron asked. “Why does it look like Christmas threw up in your living room?”

“Neil’s idea,” Andrew said. “He thought it would drive you crazy, although I think he was just hunting for an excuse.”

“Spilling all my secrets, Drew?” Neil asked easily from his place on the couch, buried under an orange and grey pile of cat.

“You expect me to believe you just had these sweaters lying around?” Andrew asked, setting the mugs on the coffee table, sitting on the couch, and pulling Neil, cats and all, into his lap.

“You never know when you might need to blend in with a crowd of holiday shoppers,” Neil said, planting a quick kiss on Andrew’s nose.

Something twisted in Aaron’s gut, seeing how easily they settled into each other’s spaces. Awkwardly, he settled into the armchair across the room.

Orange fur unwound from gray and Sir Fat Cat McCatterson jumped to the floor, padded softly across the room, and jumped up into Aaron’s lap. Aaron took another sip of his hot chocolate and buried the fingers of his other hand in soft cat fur.

For so much of his life, he’d had nothing, not a mother’s love, not safety and stability, but now he had so much. He had a brother and a brother’s boyfriend who welcomed him easily into their weird, weird Christmas rituals. He had a girlfriend (fiancée?!!) waiting for him in a tropical paradise, and he was suddenly so fucking glad no one was going to make him choose between them.


End file.
